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130 lamps, screens and bric-à-brac that had taken the place of the ancient horsehair furniture. Letty looked around, consumed with envy and longing.

Presently Mr. Romaine appeared, followed by the Chessinghams and Ethel Maywood, who was looking uncommonly handsome. As soon as greetings were exchanged, the Colonel attacked Mr. Romaine about what he called his "vandalism" in refurnishing his house. Mr. Romaine laughed his peculiar low laugh.

"Why, if I had let that old rubbish remain here, which had no associations whatever, except that it was bought by my father's agent—a person of no taste whatever—I should have been constantly reminded of the flight of time, a thing I should always like to forget."

"Life, my dear Romaine," remarked the Colonel, solemnly, "is full of reminders of the flight of time to persons of our advanced years, and we have but a brief span in which to prepare for another world than this sublunary sphere."

At this Mr. Romaine, excessively nettled, turned to Letty and began to describe to her a very larky ballet he had witnessed in New